NGE: Halloween Nights
by Frontline
Summary: Shinji, Asuka and Rei take a group of kids Trick or Treating. What can possibly go wrong...?


**All characters and concepts are the property of their respective creators. No copyright infringement is intended, or profit made, from this work of fiction.**

_Come on, _Asuka thought, tapping her foot impatiently as she glanced up at the clock. _Why do they make us have homeroom last thing on Friday...?_

With a sigh, she sat back with her arms folded as the homeroom door opened.

'Alright, settle down,' Ms Katsurugi said, as she strode to her desk. 'I know it's Friday, but school's not out yet. Now, tomorrow's Halloween. For those of you who've signed up to help with Trick or Treating, you'll need to here at 5:00 tomorrow evening. Everyone else, I'll see you on Monday morning,' she added, just as the bell rang.

'Stand up,' Hikari said. 'Bow...'

'Thank you,' Ms Katsurugi said. 'Class dismissed...'

'I can't believe that we have to spend our Saturday babysitting a bunch of kids...'

'Why did you volunteer, then?' Shinji asked and Asuka scowled at him.

'What? And leave you and Wonder Girl to do it alone?' She said, glancing over at Rei who was packing her books into her bag. 'You'll only get into trouble without me...'

'We're more likely to get into trouble with you,' Shinji muttered.

'What was that...?'

'Nothing...'

#################

_Guess I'm a little early, _Shinji sighed, as he reached the school gates. Even though there was no-one around, he felt foolish standing there in the long flowing cape with his face painted white and a set of false fangs in his mouth.

_Maybe the vampire costume wasn't such a good idea..._

'Good evening, Ikari...'

'Oh. Hey, Rei,' he said, turning towards the albino girl. Unlike him, she was wearing a white sweater, black skirt and navy blue leggings. 'Are you looking forward to this...?'

'I...do not know. I am uncertain what we have to do...'

'Didn't you go Trick or Treating as a kid...?'

'No...' Rei said, glancing over his shoulder and Shinji followed her gaze to see Asuka walking towards them, dressed in a dark red leather jacket, a pair of wolf ears on her head.

'Baka, Shinji. Did you forget what time we had to be here...?

'Hi, Asuka,' Shinji said, turning towards her with a sigh. 'No. I just didn't want to be late...'

'Come on. You live closer to school than me...'

'Yeah, but...'

'And, what about you, Wonder Girl?' Asuka demanded, cutting him off. 'You're not even in costume...'

'No,' Rei replied.

'Listen, Wonder Girl...' Asuka began, just as Ms Katsurugi's blue sports car pulled up.

'Good. You're here early,' she said, getting out with a grin. 'You can help me get set up...'

#################

Rei finished pinning up the route plans and rotas that Ms Katsurugi had given her, glancing across the hall to where Shinji and Asuka were manhandling a table into place with the other three along the back wall.

'Keep your end up, Shinji...'

'I would, if you'd slow down for a minute...'

'What was that...?'

'Nothing,' Shinji muttered, as the pushed the table into place, moving over to join Rei.

'So, how many of these brats have we got to look after?' Asuka asked, brushing past Rei to run her finger down the list. 'Three. I suppose I can manage that. Ooh, look. Hikari's with Toji and Kensuke. Man, I'd hate to be Class Rep tonight...'

'Good, you're done,' Misato said, as she stepped in the Hall. 'Just in time. The kids are here...'

#################

Asuka exchanged glances with Shinji and Rei, looking along the line of the four children in front of them.

'Hello,' Asuka said, kneeling down in front of a young boy in a tiger costume. 'What's your name...?'

'...Seiryo...'

'Nice to meet you, Seiryo,' Asuka said, turning to the girl dressed as a witch, her floppy hat nearly falling over her eyes.

'I'm Namiyo,' she piped. 'This is Hisashi,' she added, glancing to the last child who's shoes were only just visible under the white sheet with two eyes holes cut in it.

'Alright,' Asuka said, standing up. 'Let's go...'

#################

'I don't understand,' Rei said, as she and Shinji watched Asuka leading the children along the drive to the front door of the first house.

'Understand what...?'

'This. Halloween. I don't understand it...'

'Didn't you ever go Trick or Treating when you were a kid?' Shinji asked, as Asuka knocked on the door, a dark-haired woman in a flowing black dress opening it.

'Trick or Treat!' The children chorused and the woman smiled, handing each of them a small bag of candy.

'No...'

'...okay. Anyway, basically, people used to leave out gifts of sweets or meat for evil spirits, so they wouldn't come after them...'

'That doesn't make sense,' Rei said, as Asuka led the children back up the path.

'Come on,' she said. 'Let's go. And keep your eyes open for ghosts...'

#################

'Mr Ikari', Ms Katsurugi said, with a smile. 'Mrs Ikari. Thank you for coming. I'm expecting everyone to be back by 8 at the latest, but there's refreshments available, if you like...'

'Thank you,' Mr Ikari said,.

'How...do you think Shinji's being doing this term...?' Mrs Ikari asked.

'He's starting to come out of his shell', Ms Katsurugi said. 'His friendship with Rei and Asuka seems to have done him some good...'

'...okay. Good. Thank you...' Mrs Ikari said.

'Ms Katsurugi...'

'Mrs Sohryu...' Ms Katsurugi said, flashing a quick smile at the tired-looking woman walking towards her. 'How are you?'

'I'm okay. It's...hard, sometimes. I know that Asuka's angry that I'm not around as much as she'd like...'

'You can only do your best,' Ms Katsurugi said, with a sad smile and Mrs Sohryu nodded.

'I know...'

#################

'Okay,' Asuka said, as the reached the end of the street. 'We'll go left here and visit the last couple of houses.

'Aww,' Namiyo said. 'We want to go in there...'

'No way,' Asuka said, following her gaze to an abandoned house across the street. 'No way. We need to...hey!'

Before she could react, Namiyo, Seiryo and Hisashi ran across the road, disappearing into the dark.

'Come on,' Asuka said, breaking into a run towards the house, Shinji and Rei hot on her heels.

'Where did they go...?' Shinji asked.

'How should I know?' Asuka snapped, pulling out her phone and switching on the torch.

'There,' she said, aiming the torch at a half-open window where a child's shoe print is just visible in the dirt. 'Come on...'

Switching off her torch, she pushed open the window and climbed through.

'What are you doing?' Shinji hissed, as Rei swung her leg over the window sill. 'We can't go in there...'

'Come on, Shinji,' Asuka shouted. 'We need to find them and get back before we're missed...'

#################

'Come on, Shinji,' Asuka muttered, as Shinji struggled through the window. 'Honestly, why are you such a wimp...?'

'I still don't think this is such a good idea,' he murmured, scrambling to his feet. 'Where do you think they went...?'

'Just a wild guess,' Asuka said, pointing at the footprints in the dust, leading to an open door. 'But, they probably went that way...'

Taking out her phone and flicking on the torch, Asuka lead them through the door and out into the Hall, where the footsteps lead upstairs.

'This way,' Asuka said, moving towards the stairs. 'Let's...'

'Asuka!' Shinji cried, bumping into her in his haste to back away and she rounded on him.

'Shinji? What the hell...?'

'I...I saw something move...' he stammered, Asuka shining her flashlight in the direction he was pointing, where a door was half-open.

'I don't see any...Rei, wait!' Asuka called, as Rei stepped forward, pushing open the door and poking her head inside.

'There's nothing there,' she said, closing the door behind her and Asuka swallowed.

'Come on,' she said. 'Let's get this over with...'

Carefully, they made their way upstairs, four closed doors leading off from the landing.

'Where do you think they are?' Shinji asked, just as a creak from the stairs behind them made them jump.

'Wh...what do you think that was?' Shinji asked.

'It is an old house,' Rei said, just as a door opposite them and the children emerged, stopping when they saw them.

'What did you think you were doing...?' Asuka demanded.

'We're looking for ghosts...' Namiya said and Asuka folded her arms across her chest.

'Not anymore,' she said. 'We're leaving...'

'Awww...'

'Now!'

#################

'There you go,' Asuka said, helping Namiya through the window to Rei, climbing through after them.

'Can we do more Trick or Treating?' Seiryo asked and Asuka felt her jaw drop.

'What? No! We've got to go back. Now!'

#################

'Welcome back,' Ms Katsurugi said, kneeling down in front of Namiya, Seiryo and Hishashi. 'Did you have a good time...?'

'Yes, Ms Katsurugi,' they chorus and she smiled.

'Alright. You can sit over there with the others until your parents get here...'

'Thank you, Ms Katsurugi,' Namiya said and she stood up as they joined the other children, chattering excitedly.

'So, how did it go?'

'...fine,' Asuka said, exchanging glances with Rei and Shinji. 'No problems...'

'...alright. Your parents are here to take you home. Rei, I'll drop you home once the children have been collected...'

**Thank you for reading. I hoped you enjoyed it. Any reviews, comments or constructive criticisms are very welcome.**


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